Apparatus for packaging cigarettes



May 26, 1959 R. H. MINICH 2,337,836

' APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARETTES Filed Aug. 9, 1956 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RUSSELL H. MINICH ATTORNEY R. HHMINICH i APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARETTES Filed Aug. 9,19% 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 26, 1959 2,887,836

Fig. 2

IN VEN TOR.- RUSSELL H. MINIOH TORNEY May 26, 1959 R. H. MlNlCH APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARETTES 5 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 9, 1956 NY RH E mm N Nm R W m mH May 26', 1959 R. H. MINIEH 2,887,836

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARETTES Filed Aug. 9, 195a 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.4

, '7 995 I 66 A? ss 70 glol INVENTOR. RUSSELL H. MINIGH ATTORNEY R. H. MINICH APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARETTES May 26, 1959 Filed Aug. 9, 1956 j 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. RUSSELL H. MINICH ATTORNEY 9 Claims. r31; 53-433 This invention relates generally to packaging methods and apparatus, and is particularly concerned withuan improved methodof applying an extractor or'lift means in a packagefand apparatusfor use in practicing the instantrnethod.

While the method and apparatus of'the present invention' have been primarily developed for use in connec- .tion with thepackagingof cigarettes, and will be'deplicable for use in the packaging of a wide variety of aiticles.

As is well known, clgarettes and similar, somewhat "compressible articles are normally packaged in aslight- 1y compressed stat'e, and therefore present difliculties in the manual removal of at least the initial few articles from'a-newly opened pack. For many years it has been knownthat a removal strip or extractor located interiorv 1y of thepouch or wrapper and extendingabout the cigarettes, with one endportion accessible for grasping in the users fingers, could be advantageously employed to initiate extraction; of the cigarettes. this well-known fact, such extractor devices have not been Notwithstanding commonly employed for the primary reason that their assembly in the finished pack presented numerous obstacles heretofore unsurmountable by rapid and completely automatic procedures.

Accordingly, it is general object of the present 'inp'aratuswhich overcomes the above-mentioned difficulties,

and wherein an extractor strip or the like isadapted to be efficiently, reliably, and economically provided in a completed package, 'so th at upon opening of the packinitial articles fromthe package.

It is anotherobject ofthe present invention to provide a method andapparatus" for-the insertion of anextractor in a package of cigarettes,whichmethod and apparastant invention does not adversely affect the efficiency or 6 rapidity of present cigarette-packaging operations, and

wherein existing cigarette-packaging apparatusmay continue to be employecl'with only minor-modification.

It is a'further'object 'of the present invention to provide an attachment for existing cigarette-packaging ap- :paratus, which attachment possesses the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the foregoingparagraphand United States Patent scribed hereinafter with particular reference thereto, it is fully appreciated that the invention is equally ap- 'vention to provide af highly improved method and apage, the extractormay be manually pulled to withdraw -tus are entirely compatible with existing cigarette-packag-'- it ing procedures and equipment, so that practice of the inis simple in construction, reliablein operation, 'anddura- The present invention also contemplates the provision of novel and advantageous article-extractor structure proforward of the compactor turret 21 so thatthe wrapper vided in a package produced in accordance with the teachings of the subject invention. 9 9 In particular, the apparatus of the present inventionis adapted for attachment to'and use in conjunction with cigarette-packaging machines of .the general type illustratedand described United States Patents Numbers 2,887,836 Patented May 26, 1959 Referstanding ofthe conventional apparatus, only enough of which is illustrated and described hereinafter to afford athorough understanding of applicants invention. 1

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a ma: terial part ofthis disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists inthe features of construction, and combinations and arrangements er elements and method steps, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and ofwhich the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings: g Figure l is a rear elevational view showing applicant-is device in association Withcooperating elementsof a conventional cigarette-packaging machine, with parts broken away for clarity of understanding; Y

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, alsoipartly broken away, taken from the'left of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational View, taken from the opposite side as'FigureZ;

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary rear elevational view similar to Figure l, but showing applicants attachment in greater detail;" I

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along theline5-5ofFigure4; Figure 6 is a rear elevational view showing a slightly modified form of feeding means adapted for use inconjunction with the instant invention; I?

Figure 7 is a side elevational view showing the feeding means of Figure 6; i i v I Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational detail view similar to Figure 4; v f Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view showing applicants heat-sealing pusher construction; i

compactor turret 21 'is mounted for axial rotation with a horizontally disposed, forwardly and rearwardly exten'ding shaft23 which is-rotatably supported by any suitable means on the bed 20; and, thecompactor turret'cfarries a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets 24, each of Iwhich opens at opposite ends longitudinally of the latter shaft and is adapted to carry and compact adcsired quantity of cigarettes also extending longitudinally'offthe shaft. The wrapper turret 22is mounted for axial rotation with a horizontally disposedshaft 25, which is'spaced laterally from the shaft 23 and also rotatably supported by: any suitable means on the bed 20. Canrie'd in circumferentially spaced relation by the wrapper turret '22 are a plurality of open-ended mandrils, shells or wrapper supports 26 arranged longitudinally of the shaft'25.

The wrapper turret 22 is spaced laterally and slightly supports 26 and compactor pockets 24 move into and out of end-to-end adjacentspaced alignment-"with each other. In particular, upon rotation of the wrapper turret 22 in the direction ofarrow 28and simultaneous rotation of the compactor turret 21 in the direction of arrow 29, successive compactor pockets 24 will move into and out from the support.

about theaxis of shaft 25, and for forward and rearward reciprocation into and out of their respective supports.

For clarity of illustration only suchplungers are shown .inFigureZ, and their mounting means has been omitted from the drawings, reference being made to the abovementioned Patent No. 1,926,192 for a complete disclosure of suitable plunger mounting structure and actuating means. From such patent it will be seen that each ,plunger 30 is actuated to shift forward toward its respective wrapper support, stopping just short of the latter, at the position III, being withdrawn therefrom at position II, and again moved forward at position 1, until the plunger at position XII is inserted entirely through and beyond its respective wrapper support. Upon forward movement of each plunger 30 toward its respective support26 at the position III, it is understood that the plunger will extend completely through the adjacent compactorpocket 24 which is at that position in end-to-end alignment with the respective wrapper support.

As is described in greater detail in the above-mentioned patents, a quantity of cigarettes is shifted endwise from each compactor pocket 24 when in its position of alignment with a respective wrapper support 26 by forward movement of the associated plunger 30. In particular, when each of the plungers is in position III its reciprocatory movement is actuated by forward swinging of the lever 32 which is operatively connected between the plungers and turret drive means, as set forth in said Bronander patents. Carried exteriorly of the wrapper support 26 at position III is a wrapper or pouch having only one end open and arranged with its open end facing toward the. aligned compactor pocket to receive the inserted cigarettes. At position XII, with the cigarettes received in the support 26, and a wrapper having one end open surrounding the support, the plunger 30 is shifted by suitable actuating means 31 to extend forward completely through the support and eject the cigarettes The ejected cigarettes are surrounded by and carrying the wrapper away from the support. In the conventional device suitable means are provided for tucking and sealing the open end of the wrapper or :pouch after its ejection at position XII, but such means form no part of the present invention and are therefore not illustrated or further described.

A troughlike delivery chamber 33 is supported'above the bed by any suitable means (not shown) in position to receive the completed packages after ejection of the latter from the supports 26 at position XII. As all of the structure described hereinbefore is conventional and disclosed in the above mentioned patents, more detailed descriptionis not believed necessary or desirable.

The novel attachment of the present invention is generally designated 35 and includes a standard 36 mounted on the table 20 just rearward of the wrapper turret 22 and closely alongside of the compactor turret 21. An

additional standard 38 is mounted on the table 20'directly rearward of the standard 36. A generally V rtically disposed, upwardly opening tape guide or tunnel 39 is fixed to the forward side of the standard 36, as by fasteners- 40, see Figure 4, and extends vertically through the space betweenan aligned, adjacent wrapper support a Pactor pocket, 24 at the position III. That 3, the gui way ,39 extends vertically and is located to lie between a wrapper support 26 at station 111 and an 4 aligned compactor pocket 24 as seen in Figure 2; and further, the tunnel is disposed laterally off-center with respect to the aligned support and pocket, as best seen in Figure l.

The tunnel or guideway 39 is best seen in Figures 4 and 8, the open upper end being internally flared at 42, and the lower end 43 being closed. Further, the tunnel 39 is interrupted at a medial region by a relatively. small cutout portion 44, and is interrupted at a lower region by a relatively large cutout portion 45 spaced intermediate the cutout 44 and lower tunnel end 43. The cutouts 44 and 45 serve to define therebetween an intermediate tunnel section 47. It will be observed that the intermediate tunnel section 47 has its upper end internally flared at 46, and the lower tunnel section is also formed with an internal flare 48 at its upper end opening into the lower cutout 45. The lower cutout or tunnel interruption 45 is located at station'III so as to register with a compactor pocket 24 and wrapper support 26 in alignment at said station. The sectional view of Figure 5, taken transversely through the guideway or tunnel 39 illustrates a generally triangular tunnel passageway 52 provided with a longitudinally extending internal rib 33, for purposes appearing in detail hereinafter.

A tape-feeding assembly, generally designated 55, is mounted on the standard 36 adjacent to the upper end of the guideway 39 for feeding flexible tape downwards into the guideway in properly timed relation with respect to operation ofthe turrets 21 and 22, and plungers 30. The tape-feeding construction includes an inverted, generally U-shaped housing 56 fixedly secured on one side of the standard 36 adjacent to the upper end thereof and in which are journaled a pair of feed rollers 57 and 58 disposed one behind the other in substantially tangential relation and on opposite sides of the guideway 39. As best seen in Figure 2, the feed rollers 57 and 58 disposed one behind the other in substantially tangential relation and on opposite sides of the guideway 39. As best seen in Figure 2, the feed rollers 57 and 58 are rotatably carried by substantially horizontal, laterally extending shafts 59 and 60, respectively, which are journaled in the housing 56. The feed rollers 57 and 58 may be covered with suitable friction-surface material, such as rubber or the like, if desired.

The feed roller shaft 60 extends laterally outward through and beyond the standard 36 where it is journaled in a right-angle journal bracket 63 fixed to the standard 36. A bevel gear 64 is carried by the projecting end of the shaft 60. A generally vertically disposed transmission shaft 65 is journaled at its upper end in the bracket 63, and journaled at its lower end in a bracket 66 fixed to the standard 36 below the bracket 63. A bevel gear 67 is carried bythe upper end of the shaft 65 in meshing engagement with the bevel gear 64, and a bevel gear 68 is carried by the lower end of the shaft 65. A generally horizontally disposed, forwardly and rearwardly extending shaft 69 is rotatably supported by any suitable journal means (not shown for purposes of clarity), and carries on its forward end a bevel gear 70 in meshing engagement with the bevel gear 68. On the rear end of the shaft 69 'is carried a pinion 71 in meshing engage- .ment'with a spur gear 72 fixed on the wrapper turret 'a generally horizontal shaft 76in spaced relation over the feed roller housing 56 for supplying flexible tape 77 to the feed rollers. Interposed between the roller housing 56 and the supply roll 75 isa generally U- shaped, inverted tape entrance guide 78, which may be fixed to the rollerhousing, land is preferably formed with an upwardly diverging vertically opening hole or aperture 79 for receiving the tape 77 and directing the latter toward the feed rollers 57 and 58 in substantially tangential relation with respect to the latter.

It will now be appreciated that upon each rotative step of the compactor turret 21 and wrapper turret 22, the feed rollers 57 and 58, which are in frictional engagement with each other and with the tape 77, will be rotated a predetermined angular distance and effect withdrawal of a predetermined length of tape from the freely rotatable supply roll 75 for insertion of the withdrawn tape into the guide tunnel 39.

Mounted on the standards 36*and 38 is a cutter mechanism, generally designated 82, which is operatively connected to the turret drive means for cutting movement in timed relation with respect to the feed rollers 57 and 58 to sever successive strips of a predetermined length from the tape 77. The cutter mechanism 82 is best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4, and includes an elongate, forwardly and rearwardly extending cutter bar 83 mounted on the standards 36 and 38 for longitudinal reciprocatory movement forward into andfrearward out of theupper tunnel interruption or cutout 44. More specifically, the cutter bar 83 is supported forforward and rearward reciprocatory movement by a plurality of generally horizontally disposed rollers 84 which are rotatably carried on one side of the standards 36 and 38. The cutter bar has its forward end preferably beveled, as at 85, or otherwise shaped to define a relatively sharp shearing edge, and has its rearward end portion provided with a vertical opening 86. A bracket member or plate 87 is fixedly secured by any suitable means, say bolts 88 as in Figure 8, and includes a generally horizontal, laterally projecting lower edge flange 89 in engagement with the upper surface of the cutter bar 83 and serving to guide the latter in 'its reciprocatory movemerit. The bracket plate 87 is further provided with a fixed shear element 90 disposed in the tunnel cutout 44 and projecting laterally to extend in front of the tape "77. The fixed cutter element or shear 90 is shaped for shearing coaction with the forward end 85 of the cutter bar 83" upon forward shifting movement of the latter, so that-the tape'is severed "in the upper tunnel cutout uponforward reciprocatory movement'of the cutter bar ,83.A coil tension spring 92 has one end engaged in the rearward portion or opening 86 'of the cutter'bar 83 and has itsother end anchored rearward by a pin or bolt 93 fixed in the standard 38, see Figure 3. Thus, the cutter bar'83 is resiliently urged in the rearward direction out of the tunnel cutout 44. I

In order to actuate the. cutter bar 83 in properly timed "relation with respect to the rotation of feed'rollers 57 and 58, and hence with respect to feeding movement of the tape 77 to,insure that a strip of the desired length is, severed from the tape,.generally vertical a lever 95 is medially pivoted, as by a generally horizontal pivot pin 96, relative to the standard 38, and has one end portion 97 extending generally upward, and received in the rear end opening 86 of the cutter bar 83. The other, lower end of the lever 95 is preferably provided with a toothed enlargement or gear segment 98. Fixed to the standard 38 is a stop lug 99, which is located in position to engage with the upper region of the lever 95 and limit rearward movement of the latter. I V

A journal bearing 102 is fixed, as by fasteners 103, to the standard 38 adjacent to the lower end of the lever 95, and includes a bushing 101 projecting laterally from the standard. A generally horizontally disposed, laterally extendingshaft 104 is rotatably supported in the bearing bracket102. Formed on one end of the shaft 104, in meshing engagement with the gear segment 98, is a partial gear 105; while the other end portion of the shaft 104 projects laterally beyond the bearing bracket 6 bushing 101 and has its underside cut away, as at 106. In very general terms, it may be stated that approximately the lower left-hand quadrant of the shaft 104, as seen in Figure 3, is cut away atthe, projecting shaft end.

An additional component ofsthe actuating means for the cutter mechanism 82is a spring pressed tooth l08 carried in a casing 109 which is mounted on the plunger actuating arm 32. As noted hereinbefore and as is conventional, the arm or lever 32 actuates each of the plungers 30 in its position III to insert a compacted group of cigarettes into a wrapper support 26. The tooth 108 is mounted in the casing 109'for vertical shifting movement relative to the latter, and is resiliently urged toward its uppermost position projecting partially upward beyond the casing, as illustrated, by a coil compression spring 110 within the casing. Upon swinging movement of the arm 32 to actuate'the plunger in. the position III, the casing 109 and its upwardly projecting, resiliently biased tooth 108 are carriedby the arm, the tooth being received in the recess 106,see Figure 3, .and moving from left to right to engage with and effect counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 104. This will effect rotation of the-lever 82 and serve to shift the cutter bar 83 into thetunnel guide out out 44 and sever a .desired length of the strip 77 below the latter cutout. The tooth 108, being-carried by the arm 32, swings beyond the shaft 104, which allows the tension spring 92 to quickly withdraw the cutter bar 83 from the cutout 44, and simultaneously swingthe lever against the abutment 99 and return the shaft 104 to its position of Figure 3. Upon return of the arm 32 leftward, the tooth 108 will engage with the round exterior surface of the latter shaft and be depressed thereby against the force of spring for retraction'of the tooth into the casing 109. That is, the tooth 108 snaps beneath the lowermost edge of the recessed shaft portion 106" upon the return stroke of the plunger actuatingtarm 32 without obstructing movement of the latter.

The delivery chamber 33,,which constitutes a generally horizontally disposed, upwardly opening trough located adjacent to and forward of the plungersin position XII. In Figure 10 is shown an enlarged top View of the delivery chamber .33 containing a plurality of cigarette packages 113, and illustrating a cigarette package-113a justejected from a support 26 by its plunger 30.;- A yieldable plate 115,. which may be mounted as disclosedin Patent No. 1,926,192, is located in alignment with the supports 26 in position XII, and combines withtheplunger'to main- .tain the package 113a. in positionon a supportingplatform 116 adjacent to the open receiving end of thedelivery chamber 33. Y

Mounted in end to end spaced alignment with thereceiving end of the delivery chamber 33 is a delivery plunger or pusher 118 :having a flat head 119. and carried byparallel links' or arrns 120-.and 121 which are each pivoted to the pusher and a fixed'bar 122 rigidly mounted by any. suitable means (not shown). An angular crank arm 123 is formed on, the link 121 and-Ipivotally connected, as at 124, to the turret drive mechanism by means such as in the Bronander patents to effect. reciprocatory movement of the pusher 118 in timed relation with respect to the turrets for shifting successively ejected cigar'ette packages into the receiving 'end of the trough or conductors 126, or otherwise, if'desired. -It is nownnderstood that the heating; element 125 of the pus her plate 119 will engage with each successively ejected cigarette package 113a. p

Operation The compactor and wrapper turrets 21 and 22 are rotated intermittently and simultaneously in the directions of the arrows 29 and 28, respectively, to position each successive compactor pocket 24 in alignment at the position III with the successive wrapper support 26. When one wrapper support 26 is in such aligned relation at position III, another wrapper support is located at position XII. During the period of rotation or indexing, upon advancement of successive pockets and supports to their next positions, the tape feed rollers 57 and 58 are rotated, by the actuating 'means described hereinbefore, to frictionally pass a predetermined length of tape 77 downward into the guide tunnel 39. The length of tape fed during the turret indexing period is approximately equal to the distance between the tunnel cutout 44 and lower tunnel end 43. Further, at a time just prior to movement of the plunger 30 in position III to transfer the cigarettes from the compactor pocket to the aligned wrapper support, the tape 77 extends continuously from the supply reel 75 through the guide 78, housing 56, and through the tunnel 39, terminating adjacent to the lower end of the tunnel. As the arm 32 swings to actuate the plunger at position III, and just prior to engagement of the latter plunger with the cigarettes to be transferred, the cutter bar 83 is shifted by the hereinbefore described action of the tooth 108 to sever a strip 77a from the tape 77 extending from the lower end 43 of the tunnel 39 to the cutout 44. The severed strip is thus freely supported in the tunnel 39 extending from the lower end thereof upward, bridging the lower tunnel cutout 45, and extending to the upper region of the intermediate tunnel section 47. The internal tunnel contour and rib 53 serve to crease the tape longitudinally and rigidity the tape to insure clean entry into the openings 46 and 49, and free standing of the severed strip 77a.-

For reasons appearing presently in greater detail, th tape 77 may be paper or other similarly flexible material and is preferably provided on at least one face with thermoplastic, or heat sealable material, or may be fabricated entirely of thermoplastic material if desired. As a quantity of cigarettes are transferred from a compactor pocket to a wrapper support, the cigarettes pass through the lower tunnel cutout 45 and there engage directly with an intermediate portion of the severed strip 77a, so that the strip is partially wrapped about and inserted along with the cigarettes into the wrapper support. That is the strip extends about one end and opposite sides of the inserted quantity of cigarettes. As the lower tunnel cutout portion 45 is not located midway between the lower tunnel end 43 and upper tunnel cutout 44, but closer to the lower tunnel end, the strip engaged about the quantity of cigarettes will extend further along one side of the cigarettes than along the other; and, one end of the strip will extend beyond the opposite end of the cigarettes, while the other strip end will terminate short of the opposite cigarette ends. As the cutout 45 is offcenter relative to a pocket 24 and support 26 in position III, the strip 77a will also be off-center and preferably extend about outer cigarettes of the inserted group.

Substantially simultaneously with the above described transfer of a quantity of cigarettes at station or position III, and the wrapping of a strip 77a about the transferred quantity of cigarettes and insertion within the receiving wrapper, the arm 31 is swung to actuate the plunger 30 at position XII. That is, the plunger at position XII moves through the aligned wrapper support, engaging with one end of the contained cigarettes to eject the cigarettes and embracing strip, which effects simultaneous ejection of the wrapper surrounding the support and reception of the cigarettes in the surrounding wrapper. As mentioned hereinbefore, the opened wrapper end is closed by conventional means upon ejection from the support and before delivery to the chamber 33. During closure of the package, the longer end of the strip 77a will be folded over to lie on the top ends of the contained cigarettes. Of course, the open ended pouch on a support 26 at the position III containing a quantity of cigarettes is stepped through positions II and I into position XII preparatory to the above described ejection procedure.

In the position of cigarette package 113a, the shorter end of the strip 77a is disposed on the right side of the cigarettes, so as to lie between the contained cigarettes and the inner surface of the cigarette wrapper or pouch adjacent to the pusher plate 19. Further, if the tape 77 is coated on only one face with thermoplastic material, the coated face is located in engagement with the inner surface of the wrapper. Upon pushing engagement of the pusher plate 119 and its heating element against the package 113a, the heating element imparts preferably just sufficient heat to the thermoplastic material to seal the latter to the interior wrapper surface. Thus, when the package 113b is opened, as in Fig. 11, the longer end 77c of the strip 77a is accessible to be grasped by the users fingers and the shorter strip end 77b is secured to the interior of the pouch, so that an upward pull exerted on the longer strip end will effect elevation or partial extraction, of cigarettes for easy withdrawal from the wrapper.

Modification A slightly modified form of feed mechanism 55 is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, wherein an inverted, generally U-shaped electrically conductive housing 56 is carried by the standard 36 and in which are rotatably journaled a pair of horizontally disposed tangential feed rolls 57' and 58 for frictionally feeding tape 77 to the tunnel 39. The roller 58 is journaled on a shaft 60 rotatably supported in the housing 56', and driven through bevel gears 64 and 67, corresponding to the bevel gears 64 and 67 of the first-described form. The feed roller 57 is mounted on journal block rotatably supporting a shaft 59' and horizontally slidable in the housing 56' for movement toward and away from the roller 58. Leaf springs 131, or other suitable resilient biasing means, are provided on the housing 56' and engageable with the journal blocks 130 to urge the latter toward the feed roll 58 for frictional engagement between the rollers. A disengaging lever 132 is pivoted to the housing 56' and engageable with one of the blocks 130 to shift the latter outward against the force of springs 131 for separating the feed rollers.

A generally inverted, U-shaped guide 78 is secured on the housing 56 and guides the tape 77 into the housing 56. Mounted on the upper side of the housing 56' is an electrically conductive arm 133 which carries an electrically conductive rotatable roller 134 on one end- More specifically, the arm 133 has its lower end pivoted at 135 to the upper side of the housing 56', and carries the roller 134 on its upper end. The arm 133 is adapted to incline and lean, as best seen in Fig. 7, with the end roller 134 in rolling engagement with the tape 77 between the guide 78' and housing 56. An electric contact 136 is mounted on the upper side of the housing 56', and insulated from the housing as at 137. The contact 136 is located so that the roller 134 will engage the contact upon downward swinging movement of the arm 133, say upon breakage of the tape 77.

A pair of lead wires or conductors 138 and 139 are connected respectively to the contact 136 and the housing 56, and have their opposite ends connected together through a low-voltage source of electric supply 140 and a signal 141. As the housing 56, pivotal connection 135, arm 133, and roller 134 are fabricated of electrically conductive material, downward swinging movement of the arm to cause engagement of the roller 134 and contact 136 will close the circuit through the battery 140 and alarm 141 to actuate the latter. As best seen in Fig. 7, the arm 133 is normally retained in its inclined, upward position by rolling engagement of the roller 134 on the tapej77, so that ifthe tapesh'ould break, the arm will fall and the circuit willbeclosed'to actuateYthe alarm. "Of course,tl1e operator will then stop the machine and reset thetape. A

From the folregoingfit is seen that thepresent invention provides a method of inserting a lift strip in a package of cigarettes, an improved package employing such lift strip, and apparatus ,for use in practicing the method, which fully accomplish their intended objects and are welliiadapted to meet practical conditions of manufactureand use. i t 7 Although the present inventionhas been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. i

What is claimed is:"

1. An attachment for a cigarette-packaging machine of the class including a rotary compacter turret having a plurality of cigarette-receiving pockets, a rotary wrapper turret having a plurality of hollow wrapper-carrying supports and mounted for successive movement of said supports into adjacent spaced alignment with respect to successive ones of said pockets upon rotation of said compacter turret, plunger means mounted for rotation with said wrapper turret and reciprocable relative to the latter for shifting said cigarettes from each of said pockets into the wrapper of the adjacent aligned one of said supports for ejecting the wrapper and contained cigarettes from its support, a delivery chamber located to receive the filled wrappers ejected from said supports, and a reciprocatory pusher arranged to push each successively ejected filled wrapper along said chamber to provide space in said chamber for the reception of succeeding filled and ejected wrappers; said attachment comprising a guide fixed in position to guide flexible heat-scalable tape through the space defined between said supports and pockets when the same are in said adjacent spaced alignment, means for feeding said tape into said guide in timed relation with respect to rotation of said turrets, means for severing the said tape to define a strip of a desired length adapted to be carried by said cigarettes into said wrapper upon inserting movement of said plunger means, and heating means on said pusher for heat-sealing said strip to said wrapper when the filled and ejected wrapper is pushed into said delivery chamber.

2. An attachment according to claim 1, said severing means comprising a cutting member mounted for shifting movement transversely through said guide and resiliently biased toward an inoperative position out of said guide, a cammed member in driving connection with said cutting member for shifting the latter through said guide, and an oscillatory actuating member engageable with said cammed member in one direction of its oscillation to elfect movement of said cutting member through said guide and allow the quick return of said cutting member out of said guide.

3. An attachment according to claim 1, said feeding means comprising a pair of rollers disposed on opposite sides of and engageable with said tape for moving the latter from a supply roll into said guide, an electrically conductive member swingably mounted between said rollers and supply roll and adapted to be supported in an elevated position of its swinging movement by said tape, and an open electric signal circuit located in position to be closed by falling movement of said conductive member when said tape fails to support the latter, whereby said signal circuit will be closed when said tape breaks.

4. In a cigarette-packaging machine, the combination comprising a supporting bed, a rotary compacter turret mounted in upstanding relation on said bed and including a plurality of circumferentially spaced open-ended pockets each adapted to receive and compress a quantity of cigarettes, a rotary wrapper turret mounted in upstanding relation on said bed and including a plurality of circurnferentially spaced open-ended supportsf'each movable into and out of a position in end-to-end' adjacent spaced relation with a respective pocket of said compacter turret upon rotation of said turrets, a plurality of plungers mounted for rotation with said wrapper turret and each shiftable longitudinally into and out of a respective support, plunger actuating means for shifting each of said plungers through a compacter pocket toward its respective support when the latter is in said position of alignment and for shifting each plunger through'its respective support at a position subsequent to said position of alignment, each of said plungers thereby inserting a quantity of cigarettes from a pocket into the wrapper of a support at said aligned position and ejecting the wrapper and'contained cigarettes from the support atsaid subsequent position, a standard on said bed, a generally upright guide tunnel having its upper end open and its lower end closed and fixed to said standard in position to extend between an adjacent pair of said pockets and supports when in their position of alignment, said tunnel being provided with a lower interruption in the space between said aligned pocket and support and an upper interruption spaced above said lower interruption, means for supplying flexible tape to said lower interruption, means for supplying flexible tape to said tunnel through the upper end thereof, a pair of rotary feed rollers carried by said standard adjacent to the upper end of said tunnel for frictionally feeding said tape into said tunnel, roller-actuating means operatively connected for rotating said rollers in timed relation with respect to said turrets to feed tape into said tunnel between each insertion of cigarettes into a wrapper, a cutter mounted on said standard for reciprocating movement into and out of the upper interruption of said tunnel for shearing the tape below said upper interruption from a tape supply, means resiliently biasing said cutter out of said upper tunnel interruption, and cutter-actuating means operatively connected for shifting said cutter into said upper tunnel interruption just subsequent to the feeding of said tape to sever from said tape a strip of predetermined length contained in the tunnel below said upper tunnel interruption, the insertion of a quantity of said cigarettes into said wrapper thus effecting the movement of said cigarettes through saidlower tunnel interruption and the engagement by said cigarettes with an intermediate portion of said measured strip to move said strip into said wrapper extending about an end and opposite sides of said quantity of cigarettes, a delivery chamber mounted on said bed in position to receive the filled wrappers from said supports, a reciprocatory pusher mounted on said bed and located in position to push each successively ejected filled wrapper along said chamber to provide space in said chamber for the next ejected filled wrapper.

5. The combination according to claim 4, in combination with a heater on said pusher, whereby said strip is adapted to be secured to the interior of said wrapper when said strip is fabricated of heat-scalable material.

6. The combination according to claim 4, in combination with an electrically conductive member swingably mounted on said standard between said feed rollers and supply roll and adapted to be supported in an elevated position of its swinging movement by engagement with said tape, and an open electric signal circuit connected to said conductive member and located in position to be closed by falling movement of said conductive member when said tape fails to support said conductive member, whereby said signal circuit is closed upon breaking of said tape.

7. In a packaging machine of the class wherein an article-carrying pocket and wrapper-carrying shell are movable into and out of adjacent spaced aligned relation, and insertion means is movable through said pocket to shift articles from said pocket into said shell and wrapper when said pocket and shell are in said aligned relation,

the combination comprising a guide tunnel fixedly supported in position extending through the space between said pocket and shell when the same are in said aligned relation, said tunnel being cut away in the region between said aligned pocket and shell to pass said articles during shifting movement thereof transversely through said tunnel, and means for feeding a flexible tape longitudinally into said tunnel and across said cutout, whereby an intermediate portion of said tape extending across said cutout is adapted to be'engaged by said articles upon shifting of the latter and carried into said shell and Wrapper extending about said articles.

8. The combination according to claim 7, said tape feeding means comprising a pair of rollers disposed adjacent to one end of said tunnel and frictionally engageable with opposite sides of said tape for drawing the latter from a supply source and moving said tape into said one tunnel end.

9. The combination according to claim 7, ,in combination with tape-cutting means movable transversely through said tunnel at a location ahead of said cutout for severing a predetermined length of said tape in said tunnel, whereby said predetermined length of tape is carried by said shifted articles for insertion into said wrapper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

